Breakers Wilkinson, Leon on 18-player roster

Breakers defender Rhian Wilkinson and forward Adriana Leon are two of the 18 players on Canada’s roster for the upcoming international friendly against Germany on June 19.

Rhian Wilkinson (Photo Courtesy Canadian Soccer Association)

The match will be played in Paderborn, Germany (18:00 local kick-off). The Canada-Germany friendly will be broadcast in Canada on Sportsnet ONE at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

Just 17 days after taking on the world-number-one side USA – Canada is continuing to test itself against top-class opposition with the fixture against Germany who are ranked as the second best team in the world.

Adriana Leon (Photo Courtesy Canadian Soccer Association)

Canada have never earned a result in 10 previous matches against the Germans dating back to 1994.

“We certainly know the quality of the German team – and obviously we have never beaten them,” said Canadian Head Coach John Herdman.

“This match is part of our commitment to keep learning and experiencing the challenges that come with taking on tier one teams.

“We will be looking to continue the work from our recent camp in Toronto and the match against USA – while also continuing to explore new talent.”

The squad features two players, defender Rachel Melhado and forward Melissa Busque, who have earned their first call-ups to the senior team. Both Melhado and Busque featured in Canada’s most recent EXCELeration camp, part of Canada’s talent identification scheme for the WNT.

Melhado, a 20-year-old defender, currently plays for University of Louisville in USA. She has previously featured for Canada at the U-18 and U-20 levels.

“Melhado’s been tracking well throughout the year in the various EXCELeration camps and has earned a call-up,” said Herdman.

“She is an aggressive, athletic defender and she showed good composure on the ball at last year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.”

Busque, a 23-year-old forward, currently plays for Seattle University in USA. She made her debut in the Canadian youth program when she was 15.

“Busque is a robust attacking player – and she has some trickery as well,” said Herdman.

“She has showed at the EXCELeration level that she is capable of having an impact.”

Thirteen of the 18 players named to the squad for the Germany friendly featured in Canada’s most recent camp in Toronto.